Smoke
by Broken-and-fallen
Summary: It's always the smoke that he remembers. SoubixRitsuka. One shot. Fluff.


It's always the smoke he remembers. The gentle wisp that curls out past his lips and leaves Ritsuka's room with a tangy scent. Ritsuka hates smoking. He hates when Soubi smokes. He hates when he tells Soubi not to, and the fighter tells him he loves him and kisses him so that his lips taste like warmth and ash.

Ritsuka opened his windows, wrinkling his nose as the fresh air outside washed into his room and rinsed out the smoke. Even his _bed _smelt like Soubi. And they hadn't…

He felt his face grew warm and he scowled, pinning back his curtains and savagely pushing his computer chair back so he could sit down. His computer was the only source of light in his room, and the butterfly background sent silhouette shadows around his room. He stared at it for a moment. Soubi was definitely getting to him.

Click Click.

The folder opened. Ritsuka propped his chin up with a fist and stared forlornly at the message. _I've left you my Fighter Unit. _

"Thanks a lot, Seimei." He mumbled. "He's a jerk. And now my room smells like crap." 

He released a strangled squeak as his thigh vibrated suddenly and he flipped out his phone, glowering at the number.

_-- Goodnight._

Ritsuka glowered and typed something back quickly, snapping the phone shut and turning the phone off so he wouldn't have to hear Soubi's reply.

----

He was out the front of the school again. Ritsuka was surprised that he hadn't been booked for loitering, or at least for looking so damn suspicious.

"He could at least stop smiling at every kid that passes." Ritsuka groused to himself. "He's like some sort of paedophile. But of course none of the teachers notice because he's _Soubi _and he's _oh so charming-_"

"Ritsuka-kun?" 

Blinking he turned into a face full of chest. Spluttering he stepped back and Yuiko blushed, clamping her arms protectively in front of her assets. A few steps behind her Yayoi was moaning pitifully with his face planted against a wall.

"I'm sorry!" Yuiko gasped, covering her rosy face. "I shouldn't have stood so close to Ritsuka-kun! Sorry!"

"It's fine." Ritsuka replied absently, casting a glance out the window. Soubi was sitting _down _now; the bastard was making himself comfortable. Well, at least he couldn't see the school anymore over the wall. Ritsuka wasn't in the mood for games, so he _could _take the back route from the school home. Though, Soubi being Soubi, he would probably show up in the middle of the night wondering if he was sick -

"Oh! Soubi-San!" Yuiko had noticed his line of attention and grabbed the two boy's hands. "Lets go greet him! Come on!"

She dragged them – giggling over their cries of protest – down the stairs and out the front of the school until Ritsuka found to his embarrassment that his plan of escape had been thrown to the wind and he was now all but _sprinting _full-force towards the man who had glanced curiously over his shoulder at all the shrieking.

Getting to his feet Soubi smiled slightly as Yuiko sent Ritsuka hurtling into the man's chest. Long arms looped around small shoulders and long hair shielded the boy's line of vision as Soubi leant down to hug him.

"Good to see you too, Ritsuka."

Blushing furiously Ritsuka pulled back and pulled his hood over his head - because he had _felt_ teeth on his ear damnit – and shoved his hands in his pocket.

"I'm not coming over today, Yuiko-San." He told the girl. "I've got to study." 

"Awwwww!" she wailed, but Yayoi quickly intervened saying that he would gladly keep her company and she sighed and yielded.

The fighter and the sacrifice headed off down the street together in silence, and beneath the cloth Ritsuka's ears shied downwards as a hand was placed on his shoulder.

"Is something bothering you, Ritsuka?" Soubi asked curiously, at the same time fishing a familiar box out of his coat pocket. Ritsuka curled his lip and glared.

"It's those! I don't like you smoking them."

Soubi just smiled and continued to take a cigarette out, putting the box away and placing the stick in the corner of his mouth.

"Soubi! Are you listening?"

"Always, Ritsuka."

He was getting frustrated. "Well it doesn't seem like it! You always smoke even when I tell you not to, and it takes hours for me to get it out of my room!"

Soubi was still smiling. "Doesn't it remind you of me?"

"Yes! I mean – No! I mean-" Ritsuka was glad his hood was up beside his face felt like it was on fire. "Just, don't smoke in my room anymore!"

Soubi's unoccupied hand paused where it was holding a lighter just in front of his mouth.

"Is that an order?" he murmured, his smile widening just a notch. Ritsuka was taken aback for a moment; it was almost like he was _testing _him.

"Y-Yes." He decided finally. "Yes. Don't smoke in my room anymore."

Almost at the exact moment of his declaration the sky above them rumbled and fat drops of water began to hit his nose.

Soubi's cigarette died with a sizzling sound.

----

He was typing on his computer, studying like had told Yuiko, but he was distracted. The rain had given him the smallest satisfaction in putting out Soubi's cigarette, but then it began to pour, and then pound down from the sky with such intensity Ritsuka was almost certain he might have bruises the next day.

So of course Soubi intervened and pulled off his head fur-trimmed coat and draped it around Ritsuka. His coat that smelt of smoke and ash. The coat that smelt of Soubi.

Ritsuka had used the front door and successfully eluded his mother. When he reached the room he had planned to lean over the balcony to throw Soubi's coat back to him, but found the fighter already in his room, drying his long hair with a towel. Ritsuka was going to ask him how he knew where the bathroom was, but decided he didn't want to know.

"You're cute, Ritsuka." Soubi said when the boy had let him dry his hair for him, kneeling on the ground in front of his sacrifice. Ritsuka had felt goose bumps running across his arms and knew it wasn't just from the chill of the rain.

Over Soubi's shoulder he had seen the lavender coat thrown over the back of his computer chair where he was sitting now, and had sighed.

Now his room smelt like smoke. Like Soubi. _Again_.

Realising he was spacing out, Ritsuka blinked and the computer screen came back into focus just as long fingers danced along the nape of his neck and startled him.

"Soub-"

"Shhh."

He gently scooped the silk-soft hair off Ritsuka's now warm neck and began to massage his scalp. Ritsuka grudgingly admitted it felt nice, and relaxed into the touch, the blaring screen disappearing into black as his eyes fluttered closed and his head tipped back.

The smell of smoke was still there, but now it was just a dull scent in the back of his senses, overthrown by the tingling feeling running down Ritsuka's spine as fingers went from coaxing the hair to dancing along the sensitive rim of his ears.

Soubi chuckled when the appendages twitched delicately under his touch, and Ritsuka released a soft sigh.

Leather squeaked protestingly as Ritsuka's nails dug into his seat sharply when Soubi placed a feather-soft kiss against his forehead.

"Time for me to go, Ritsuka."

Dark eyes opened briefly to see the fighter move out of sight and the coat was gently tugged out from beneath Ritsuka, and then they shut again. "Ok."

"I love you."

"…Goodnight Soubi."

"Goodnight."

And later when Ritsuka had the strength to stand and ignore the tingling in his arms and collapse onto his bed, his nose and ears twitched when the sudden sting of smoke washed over him and across his bed. Blinking one eye open he could see the dim glow of a cigarette in the darkness outside and smiling to himself he closed his eyes.

Because, he reflects the next day, without the faint smoke his room would seem like the longhaired fighter had never been there at all.

**FIN**


End file.
